City of Boulder on accident alert

Camera staff

Posted:
02/24/2013 10:24:03 AM MST

Updated:
02/24/2013 09:25:48 PM MST

Stephen Hacker removes snow from the awning at the UBS building off of Canyon Blvd. on Sunday.
For more photos and a video of the current storm, go to www.dailycamera.com.
Cliff Grassmick / February 24, 2013 (CLIFF GRASSMICK)

Boulder County was blanketed in snow today as the season's biggest winter storm settled over the Denver metro area, leading to difficult driving conditions on area roads and highways, and slowing down travel in and out of Denver International Airport.

The city of Boulder went on accident alert at 10:20 a.m. today, meaning that drivers who are involved in non-injury accidents should exchange insurance information and not wait for a police response. None of the accidents reported were serious, according to Boulder police.

By 5 p.m., the storm had dumped 8 inches of snow on Boulder, said local meteorologist Matt Kelsch. He said Boulder could see up to an inch more overnight.

Five-day forecast
Check out what weather is in store for the Boulder County area hereNational Weather Service
See what the National Weather service is predicting here24-Hour satellite
Watch NOAA's 24-hour satellite image hereReal-time conditions
See what Boulder's weather is like now at the National Center for Atmospheric Research here

Today's high was near 27 degrees with winds around 13 mph, gusting to 20 mph. Tonight, temperatures will drop to about 11. There's only a small chance of snow after 11 p.m., according to the National Weather Service.

The University of Colorado closed the University Memorial Center on the Boulder campus today, and canceled the Spring Swing concert at Macky Auditorium.

The CU women's basketball game against the University of Washington went on, but CU officials advised fans to travel safely and not take "unnecessary chances" trying to get to the game.

The Lafayette Public Library also was closed today and Lafayette's Bob L. Burger Recreation Center closed at noon.

Sledding hills, however, saw plenty of action. The hill at Boulder's Scott Carpenter Park was packed in the afternoon with kids and their parents — and a few young adults. Several sledders said it was the busiest they had seen it.

Most people braving the windy cold said the combination of the biggest snow of the season and a weekend was enough to draw them to the hill.

“The snow is so great,” said Megan Williams, who lives in Eldorado Springs and brought her 7-year-old son, Zemmaar, and one of his friends. “It's so good to get out in it.”

Boulder's Jim Leachman brought his twin 5-year-olds — Curtis and Emmett — and met up with a friend and his 6-year-old son, Logan Stokes, to spend the afternoon sledding.

“This is the only shot we've had to sled,” Leachman said.

Logan said he was excited to wake up this morning to several inches of snow. Though the hill was crowded, he said, he still managed to hit a series of jumps about 10 times in his many trips down the hill.

“It was very fun,” he said.

At DIA, the Federal Aviation Administration is reporting delays of up to two hours for arrivals and departures. The airlines have reported approximately 200 departure and arrival cancellations, said DIA spokeswoman Laura Coale.

DIA averages 1,700 departure and arrival flights a day. On the weekends there are fewer flights.

Airlines leaving the airport will be deicing throughout the day, so most flights can expect some delay, Coale said.

The driver of a vehicle that collided with a Colorado Department of Transportation snowplow on Highway 40 near Empire was taken to a hospital with serious injuries, according to the Colorado State Patrol.

The CDOT driver wasn't injured, said CDOT spokeswoman Mindy Crane.

"There have been a handful of accidents," Crane said. "I have heard of more in the high country than there have been in the metro area."

Traffic on the Interstate 70 corridor is moving slowly, Crane said.

DIA officials recommends passengers download the free FlySmart travel app for the Blackberry, iPhone and Android. FlySmart Airport is the only travel app that features content downloaded directly from www.flydenver.com.

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